Chatfield Edge sells historic property to focus on community expansion

The Chatfield Edge has sold its 99-acre property in St. Martin, Ohio, to Future Plans, Inc., a nonprofit that offers technical and capacity-building support through its job-focused GRIT Project in Appalachian Ohio.

Originally established in 1845 by the Ursulines of Brown County, the property has served the Southwest Ohio community in various ways. It started as a boarding school, then became Chatfield College and more recently, The Chatfield Edge, a nonprofit supporting post-secondary students through advising, mentoring, scholarships and personal enrichment.

Terms of the property sale weren’t made available. However, The Chatfield Edge described the sale as allowing it to advance its mission for years to come. The organization will remain on the property and continue supporting first-generation and non-traditional students. 

By selling the site, The Chatfield Edge can focus on its core mission while ensuring the campus, with its 11 buildings and robust technology infrastructure, can serve the community more fully, according to Robert Elmore, president of The Chatfield Edge.

“We wanted to find an organization that shared our values and respected the wonderful work started by the Ursulines of Brown County in 1845,” Elmore said.

The continuation of 179-year-old mission

Incorporated as a nonprofit in March 2022, Future Plans, Inc. drives economic growth in communities by developing a high-demand workforce and promoting financial independence. The nonprofit is part of the GRIT Project (Growing Rural Independence Together) coalition, which works in collaboration with a range of local, state, and federal organizations, including OhioMeansJobs, common pleas and drug courts, K-12 school systems, community colleges and universities, economic development agencies like JobsOhio and the Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services, drug treatment providers, businesses, and other not-for-profit agencies.

The GRIT Project starts with a career assessment, where students and adults identify their strengths. They then work one-on-one with a career coach to create a personalized plan.

At the start, the GRIT effort concentrated on five Ohio counties: Adams, Brown, Highland, Pike and Scioto. The project has since expanded to cover all Appalachian counties and some neighboring Ohio counties.

Moving forward, the Chatfield Edge will be one of several organizations on the St. Martin property offering services to students and the broader community.

“The campus has been a cherished asset for education, growth and community service over the years,” said Sister Patricia Homan, congregational minister of the Ursulines of Brown County and member of The Chatfield Edge Board of Trustees. “It’s wonderful that this use will continue.”